lord of the Sabbath

Good morning friends,
In our time it's easy to misunderstand the Pharisees' concern about the Sabbath. While many of us remember a time when Sunday was set apart, we've mostly gotten used to the fact that stores are open and things happen every day of the week. Many of us enjoy an after-church brunch or movie. Even those of us who look back fondly at a day when almost everything was closed are a long way from a culture like Jesus' where one was literally forbidden to work on the Sabbath.

Scripture commanded that the Sabbath be set apart for rest. This wasn't a suggestion; it was a commandment and the penalty for not observing the Sabbath was death. Sabbath in many ways defined the Jewish community, especially as that identity became more important to define under Roman occupation. Jesus isn't just offending a few rigid stick-in-the-mud types; he was really stepping out of the bounds of tradition with his action. Jesus wasn't afraid to step on people's toes with his ministry, but always for the sake of God's kingdom.

Blessings,
Sam


Luke 6:1-11

One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 2But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” 3Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?” 5Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

6On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. 7The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. 8Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. 9Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” 10After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. 11But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.